Ranged Combat in Chaos Earth

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tgunner91
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Ranged Combat in Chaos Earth

Unread post by tgunner91 »

So I've been reading and rereading the section on ranged combat and I think I finally get it, but I want to make sure. So here's what I'm seeing, please feel free to clear up any misconceptions!

In combat you have several ways of shooting, and some have their own to hit. Only characters with the right proficiency get any any bonus. Non-proficient characters can try but no bonus for you!

To hit:
Stationary target >60': 5+
Stationary target <60': 8+
Fast Moving or Dodging target at any range: 10+
Called Shot at any range: 12+

Bonus to hit: Note that some weapons/vehicles/mecha have built in bonuses. I believe these are added to any shooting type below unless otherwise stated. For example the NEMA 5.56mm AR gets an additional +1 for Aimed and Called Shots, but nothing for Bursts of any type.

Basic Aimed: Proficient shooters (ie have W.P. for weapon in question) start with a +3 then gain a bonus +1 as per the rule for proficiencies. This costs one action and does damage for one shot/hit/blast/whatever. So for the NEMA 5.56 AR you would get a +4 bonus (at first level) to hit when firing the single shot that does 5D6 SDC.

As an example my 1st Level NEMA soldier is on patrol and spots a bandit holding up a refugee family 80' away. He isn't seen so he takes up a firing position and tries to pick off the stationary bandit. He needs an 8+ but gets +3 from his weapon proficiency and +1 from the NEMA AR's bonus. He rolls a rather pathetic 4 but adds 4 to the roll and gets an 8 total. A hit! Plus the bandit can't dodge since the he doesn't see my NEMA soldier. Time to break out the 5D6 for damage!

If the bandit saw him and was running for cover then my NEMA soldier needs 10+ and the bandit could dodge. In this case my 4 to hit modified to an 8 is now a miss! No need to dodge.

Called Shot: Like the Basic Aimed but now uses the Called Shot To Hit. You get the bonus from Basic Aimed shot but you might pick-up a -3 or -4 due to the target's size. In my games I will say these are impossible if the target is running/zigzagging.

The same 5.56mm AR would get the bonus above, but need a 12+ to hit and may be hit by a -3 or -4 modifier depending on the target's size. Also if you roll >12 but still 5+ you hit the target but in the main body rather than the targeted location.

So my NEMA 1st level soldier is now trying to cap a zombie with a headshot and needs a 12+ to hit. He takes an Aimed Called Shot to the critter's head which is a -4 added to his +3 (Aimed Shot) +1 (the NEMA AR bonus for Aimed Shot). I roll but only get an 8, so he misses the head but still gets a hit on the zombie's main body. If I rolled a 12+ then the zombie is in trouble!

Bursts: Also known as Aimed Bursts. These are different from the two above options. You get to do more damage but in exchange for decreased accuracy (makes sense). You DON'T get the bonus from Basic Aimed. Instead you only get a generic +1 to hit when you fire like this, regardless of your current level. But this is a sacrifice you make to get the higher damage rating. So my NEMA 5.56AR only gets a +1 bonus to hit BUT 1D6x10 SDC if there's a hit. Using my rushing bandit above my NEMA soldier now needs a 10+ but only gets a +1 to hit. If I'm lucky and roll a 9 or better then I hit the bandit but he could dodge with better odds since he's 80" away. But on the other hand if I hit then he's in serious trouble since he's eating 1D6x10 damag. Perhaps an instant kills if his SDC and Hit Points are less than 60 total.

Wild Shooting/Spray: No bonus at all! Just a straight-up roll that is hoping for the best. I get the idea that this is a penalty for certain situations (not being able to see the target, moving fast, etc) but it also includes spraying multiple foes (like shooting a machine-gun). But how many targets can you hit? My NEMA 5.56 AR should be able to do this but the rules are unclear on how sprays work. Wild Shooting is against one target? This is also what happens when an untrained person tries to burst fire.

So the example here has my NEMA soldier trying to hit the bandit but this time my soldier is riding top cover on a fast moving MX-144 (with a SDC MG that my soldier is proficient with) and going for a burst which become Wild Shooting. He's running for cover so I need a 10+ but now I have no bonus and even have the -6 for Wild Shooting. He can dodge since he can see me and I need at least a 16, straight up, to hit him, but if I hit him he's hurting because I'm going to tag him with 1D6x10 if I hit. A long shot, but maybe worth it if I can put him down before he reaches cover!

So, easy enough until you hit Wild Shooting/Spray, which isn't that bad except you don't get a mechanism for spray fire against multiple targets. However I have to say, the version in Rifts Ultra is a lot easier to follow. I might use it instead but it doesn"t cover Spray Fire either. So what do you think, do I have right it or not?
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Alrik Vas
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Re: Ranged Combat in Chaos Earth

Unread post by Alrik Vas »

yeah, you have it, looks like the old school rules...which is odd. Thought they'd use RUE style.

Though for area spraying/suppressive fire, you can use a 1d6 to determine random targets, who all have to dodge (if the attack hits and they aren't behind cover) and take damage for a single round of whatever weapon you're using.
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tgunner91
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Re: Ranged Combat in Chaos Earth

Unread post by tgunner91 »

Alrik Vas wrote:yeah, you have it, looks like the old school rules...which is odd. Thought they'd use RUE style.

Though for area spraying/suppressive fire, you can use a 1d6 to determine random targets, who all have to dodge (if the attack hits and they aren't behind cover) and take damage for a single round of whatever weapon you're using.


Chaos Earth is older the RUE- 2003 vs 2005 so it missed the updates in that system. I'm thinking of just using RUE in my games. Rolling 8+ is a lot easier than trying to remember all of CE's to hits, especially in the heat of a game.

So here's a question- let's say I area spray like you say. Would I roll the random targets first then roll to hit each, or roll to hit then apply that attack to 1d6 random targets who can each try to dodge my single to-hit roll?
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Alrik Vas
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Re: Ranged Combat in Chaos Earth

Unread post by Alrik Vas »

roll the hit then apply to targets. That's how it used to be done as far back as TMNT.

Though I allow players to Wild Shot (-6, but with bonuses, -3 more if you're moving) to hit a 45 degree angle, forcing everyone in the area up to 1/2 the weapon's rate of fire to dodge.
Mark Hall wrote:Y'all seem to assume that Palladium books are written with the same exacting precision with which they are analyzed. I think that is... ambitious.

Talk from the Edge: Operation Dead Lift, Operation Reload, Operation Human Devil, Operation Handshake, Operation Windfall 1, Operation Windfall 2, Operation Sniper Wolf, Operation Natural 20
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